Secondary user relations in emerging mobile computing environments

Abstract

Mobile technologies are enabling access to information in diverse environments, and are exposing a wider group of individuals to said technology. Therefore, this paper proposes that a wider view of user relations than is usually considered in information systems research is required. Specifically, we examine the potential effects of emerging mobile technologies on end-user relations with a focus on the ‘secondary user’, those who are not intended to interact directly with the technology but are intended consumers of the technology's output. For illustration, we draw on a study of a U.K. regional Fire and Rescue Service and deconstruct mobile technology use at Fire Service incidents. Our findings provide insights, which suggest that, because of the nature of mobile technologies and their context of use, secondary user relations in such emerging mobile environments are important and need further exploration.

Keywords:

• mobile technologies
• secondary users
• interpretive research

Acknowledgements

We would like to express our gratitude to the two anonymous reviewers and the editors Hans van der Heijden and Iris Junglas for their excellent advice on how to improve the paper. Thanks also to the fire fighters who shared their experiences with us.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Elaine Ferneley

About the authors

Elaine Ferneley is a senior lecturer in information systems and knowledge management at the Information Systems Institute, the University of Salford, U.K. She has an MSc and Ph.D. in Computation from The University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. Her research interests are concerned with mobile and ubiquitous technology and the associated emerging intelligent information retrieval approaches.

Ben Light

Ben Light is a senior lecturer in information systems at the Information Systems Institute, the University of Salford, U.K. His research interests are concerned with the sociotechnical nature of information systems in work organizations and society.